Of Curses and Broken Things
by Tinuviel Undomiel
Summary: AU Belle was never captured by the Queen, but was cursed instead to keep her apart from Rumplestiltskin. For 28 years, she was trapped with the others in the Enchanted Forest. Now she's awake and she must work with Mary Margaret and Emma to find a way to Storybrooke so she can finally be with the man she loves.
1. Persistence

Disclaimer: If I owned Once Upon A Time, Rumplestiltskin and Belle would be married and Hook would be strapped to a slingshot and flung into space for his dastardly deeds.

A/N: No, I haven't abandoned Only A Rose, this plot bunny just sat on my head and refused to let me go until I started this. This story came from Straggle on tumblr, AKA Sapsparrow here. She had the prompt of Belle being stuck in FTL with the others, so poor Rumple is completely unaware of that fact that she is alive. I couldn't let it go, so Straggle, this is for you. I hope you enjoy it.

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Of Curses and Broken Things

Chapter 1: Persistence

Two horses broke the line of the mountain as they galloped up the rocky path. One was grey and carried a woman wearing red leather with a yellow tunic and hood. A lace cravat now served as her scarf, it's end flapping behind her. She had long curly brown hair bound with a leather thong to keep it from covering her face. The brown and white horse held a man with sandy-brown hair. He wore a plain brown cloak with a grey tunic and black trousers.

"We're almost there, Fynn," she said when she saw the first black tower come into view, "It's the Dark Castle."

"Only you would find joy in such a place, Belle," he said in reply, but he wasn't sure if she heard him as she kicked her horse into a fiercer gallop. More likely his words were lost to the wind.

It was summer so the mountain snows had long ago melted away, if they had come at all. The world had become ravaged and broken many, many years ago. Not even this place had been spared. But the castle was still intact, and that filled Belle's heart with hope.

The ground was unyielding and loud beneath the hooves of the horses, but at last they made it to the black iron gates that stood guard over the Dark Castle. Belle finally yanked on the reins to command the horse to stop. She gave it one pat on the neck in gratitude before climbing out of the saddle. She walked over to the gates, her heart hammering away at her ribs as they went.

"He enspelled the gates," she said, "So only those he wish to enter may."

"And you're certain he'll welcome you?"

"I have faith."

Still, Belle held her breath as she placed one hand on the gates and then pushed. At first, the cold metal resisted. Then with a loud groan, they slowly creaked open at her insistence. Belle smiled. "Come on, Fynn. He's waiting for me."

She didn't look back to see if he was following her. She let her feet carry her up the old stone path that led to the door of the Dark Castle. The gardens were overgrown since the last time she saw them. He had been remiss in caring for his estate, but he'd taken to leaving the gardens to her care during her time with him. She'd loved to be outdoors with the sunshine, the smell of flowers and the velvety touch of new leaves. Perhaps he'd ceased to care for it all after she had left.

The heavy wooden door swung open after two pushes. A blast of cool air met her, but she felt no fear. Belle eagerly burst inside the great hall. It was all as she had left it. The suits of armor stood empty and cold, the stuffed bear was forever trapped in mid-roar and the round, wooden table was still in the center of the room. They were all dusty and the bowl of flowers was dead, but nothing else had changed.

"Rumplestiltskin!" she shouted as she took to the stairs, "Rumplestiltskin, it's me! It's Belle! I'm back!"

She heard Fynn's steps following her as she checked every door she came too, but none of them had the man she was looking for. But of course, the trophy room. That was where his wheel had sat and where they had shared their time together. It was the most comfortable room in the whole castle. It was their place.

Belle could remember where it was, though it had been so long. She threw open the doors and saw…despair.

The fireplace was cold. The candles and sconces unlit. The long, wooden table she had polished hundreds of times was caked with dust. More than that, many of the pedestals that had held his treasures were empty. The genie's lamp was gone, the sword and hideous puppets vanished as well. So was his spinning wheel.

As she stood in the center of the dark, empty room, Belle realized what all of these missing pieces meant. "No," she whispered, shaking her head, "No. Rumplestiltskin!" She called out to him again, "Rumplestiltskin, come out! It's me! Please! Please come to me!"

"Belle," Fynn's voice came to her softly from behind, "He's gone."

"No," Belle said, "No, he can't be. He must be here."

"Look around, he's gone. He's gone with all of the others."

"No!" she shouted, "No he can't! I can't accept that! After all of this time, all of my struggles, I can't have lost him again!"

"Belle," he said her name in a sad plea.

There had to be some other reason.

"But his magic…" she said.

"It wasn't enough," Fynn spoke truthfully, "He's wherever the Queen's curse took them all. I'm sorry, Belle."

Twenty-eight years. Belle had been frozen with a hundred others in one small corner of the land that hadn't been swept away. She had held onto the hope that Rumplestiltskin's vast amount of magic would protect him from Regina's curse, but all of that had been in vain. He was gone. She'd lost him all over again.

The rage, pain and fear boiled inside Belle until it was a hideous brew. She grabbed the first thing she could find—a silver ball of some kind—and hurled it towards the now uncovered mirror with an unladylike curse. The reflective glass shattered as the force of the ball knocked the frame to the floor.

Belle sank to her knees in a sob. Over. Gone. There was nothing for her here but worthless trinkets and the dusty remains of a life she had once had. That man who had made this place her home was no longer there. She could search the ends of this world and never find him. It would take a power she did not possess to bring her to where he was now.

Fynn placed one warm hand on her quaking shoulder. "Come on, Belle," he said apologetically, "Let's go home."

Home. That tattered village wasn't her home. She hadn't had a home for over twenty-eight years. It was supposed to be this castle. Now she was bereft of what it could be. With tears wetting her cheeks, she accepted Fynn's assistance back to her feet. There was no sense in lingering here in this place with it's empty rooms and hopes. She would have to find another way.

They walked back to their horses in silence, leaving the gate cracked open as they left the castle behind. Nothing inside was of any true value and it wasn't like Rumplestiltskin would care that it was gone. Belle choked back a sob as she turned away what was once her home. She ached inside just like the day he'd forced her out.

Fynn answered her tears with silence as they rode. Belle was grateful to him for that, he knew her so very well. Phillip would have offered her a handkerchief and some words of sympathy. Mulan would promise that they would continue their quest to reunite her with him. While they both meant well and their friendship always appreciated, Belle needed the time to grieve the end of that bit of hope. Fynn understood that.

And so she rode with tears rolling down her face. She thought about when he'd forced her out and how she'd done the same. She'd walked and cried until she was completely drained. Once the tears had ended, she'd begun to plan what to do with herself and that was how she'd wound up in that tavern: her first adventure.

Belle did the same now. She let the tears fall until her eyes could shed no more. Now that her grief was spent, she set it aside to plan. Yes, she would return to the island, but that was just a stopping place. This world had been ravaged and overrun by ogres, trolls and other dangers, but one thing had remained: magic. She didn't know how to use it, but she would find a way. There had to be some portal or something to bring her to this world the Queen had stolen everyone to.

The only problem was where to look? All of the fairies were gone. She could sail to Agrabah to seek out a genie, but how was she to find one of those? Perhaps that land was empty from the Curse as well.

Magic was the key, but Belle had no means to get to it. But she did know of someone who did.

"Cora," she whispered the name aloud.

"What?" Fynn asked.

"When we return," Belle said, "I'd like to speak to Cora."

"Belle," he said her name in a gasp, "You can't do that. She can't be trusted."

"I know that."

"Then why…?" He stopped and shook his head at her. "Her magic won't help you."

"You don't know that."

"Even if it could, _she_ wouldn't," he insisted, "She's dangerous, that's why Lancelot put her in the pit so she wouldn't harm anyone else. Her magic is black and cruel."

"So was his."

"And yet you still long to find him?"

He was the first person to question her about why she loved Rumplestiltskin, especially since she insisted that she knew his many, many faults. Yes, she understood he was the Dark One and that he had a great, terrible power. But she also knew that beneath all of that there was a man, a good man who had loved a son who he had lost.

"With all of my heart," she said, "That is why I must ask Cora. She is the only one who can help me now."

Magic. It may be a dark magic, but it was all she had. Cora wasn't like Rumplestiltskin. Belle had looked at her, heard her words and seen her eyes and known that she wasn't good deep into her core. Perhaps, once a very long time ago, she'd been different. But Cora had embraced her darkness, reveled in it, until it twisted her up inside. That was the difference between her and Rumplestiltskin. The magic had changed him on the outside, making him look the part of a monster and evil sorcerer but his heart, that remained good. Cora was outwardly a lovely, affectionate woman, but inside she was black and heartless.

But Belle had run into those like her before. She could handle Cora. No doubt it would cost her something, but anything was worth the price if it returned her to Rumplestiltskin.

"Belle," Fynn said with frustrated sound, "Haven't you had enough?"

"What?" she asked.

"This," he gestured to their broken world, their worn horses and repaired clothes, "You fought for two years to find him, then when the Curse hit and we came back to ourselves, you scoured what remained of our world clinging to the hope that he was there. You've dedicated your life and your health and always you come up empty. This must end."

"It will," she said, "When I find him."

Fynn spurned his horse forward a few steps and then banked it right in front of her, giving her no choice but to stop. She had to meet his gaze now. "It's over, Belle," he said.

"No, it's—."

"He's gone," Fynn spoke the words with finality, "He has been taken with everyone else. There is no way back to him and he will not come for you here. Cora won't help you. Magic won't help you. It's over."

Belle shook her head at him. "No," she said. She thought her tears were done, but some began to blur her vision again. She blinked them away. "No, it's not. I will find him. I will not give up."

"I'm telling you to let this go," Fynn said, "You already nearly died once for him, don't waste your life anymore than you already have. He might as well be dead to you now. You'll never find him and that's the truth. I'm sorry, Belle, but you must accept that. You have other options. You can choose another life."

"He's the life I want," she insisted.

Fynn shut his green eyes. His chest heaved out a long sigh. "He cast you out. He told you he didn't want you anymore. It's time you accepted the fact that he is gone, that your love is just not meant to be and find someone else."

He gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry, Belle, truly I am, but it's time you heard all of this. It's time you admitted it to yourself."

Fynn nudged his horse aside to resume riding, this time slightly ahead of her. Belle sat in her saddle in silence again. Fynn was her dearest friend and she trusted him completely, but at that moment she hated him. He'd always been on her side, always helped her in her long quest to find Rumplestiltskin, and now he told her give it up? She knew he meant well, but he was wrong. He had to be wrong.

And if he wasn't? It had been twenty-eight years. She and the others that had remained in the Enchanted Forest had been frozen, but what of those carried away? What if Rumplestiltskin didn't want her anymore? Even worse, what if he had moved on and found someone else.

These dark thoughts weighed heavily in her mind. She refused to speak to Fynn for what he'd done, even those these doubts and fears and long been with her. He just made them impossible to ignore now.

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It was a chilly night and the fire was dying down, but Belle paid no attention. She hardly felt the cold. Fynn was asleep, snoring lightly in his spot by the fire. Belle couldn't sleep. The hole in her chest where her heart used to be was aching. Yes, she could still feel it beat, but it wasn't really there. It was in that other world, wherever Rumplestiltskin was.

Fynn wasn't completely wrong before. She had dedicated a great deal of herself to this quest. And she was tired. She was tired of hoping and then grieving when that failed. She was tired of constantly being too late and watching everything she wanted slip from her fingers. She was tired of wishing and pretending that she was certain she would have everything again. She wanted to just skip ahead of this pain and find out for sure that she would be with him someday. If she had a guarantee then this would all be so much easier.

But there was no magic wand or mirror that could tell her she would have that. There was only faith and hope, both of which she was beginning to run low on.

The truth was that she'd never thought about giving up. She'd focused so long on finding Rumplestiltskin that she never considered what the future would hold if she never succeeded. She never even thought what would happen if she did.

Belle stood up from her bedroll and wandered towards an old log carpeted with thick green moss. It served as a good perch. She sat there with her chip cupped in one hand, her eyes set on the darkness of the forest. Her free hand fingered the frayed edge of the cravat, his once. Now it was all she had left of him.

Fynn would have them return to the refugee camp and stay there, Belle knew that. He wanted to settle down and restart his life. So did she. But not there, not alone. But…what if she had no choice.

_"Oh there's always a choice, dearie."_ Belle turned to see _him_ step out of the shadows.

It had started after her run in with the queen. She'd been in such despair and was so lonely to see him that she'd started to pretend to talk to him. It was so easy to imagine what he would say. She could hear his odd titter of laughter and the gravelly tone of his voice. It helped to ease some of the loneliness, even if she feared it meant she was losing her mind.

"You always say that," Belle said, "but it's never that easy."

_"I said there was a choice, not that it was simple."_ Rumplestiltskin stood between the trees, his mouth set in a wicked grin. The dragonhide coat shimmered in the moonlight, mirroring the sparkle of his skin which looked silver now instead of gold.

_"Actually, you're choice is quite simple,"_ he amended, _"You can either continue to seek me out until you die or you move on with your life."_

"You mean forget about you and accept the fact that I will never see you again."

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. _"It is the sensible choice, and you were always the sensible one of the two of us."_

Belle shook her head. "I can't just let it go like that."

He let out his odd giggle. _"And you think me stubborn. Well, I suppose something of myself had to rub off on you."_

"I just know what I want," she said.

_"Yes, but not everyone can get what they want."_

"You want me to give up," Belle realized, her mouth opening in shock while heat fueled her blood. He actually wanted her to let him go, to never see him again. How dare he!

_"Well, dearie, I'm not really here and you know that,"_ he reminded her, _"You just know this can't last forever."_

"I know I don't want to give up," she said.

_"Perhaps,"_ he said, _"Perhaps that's why I'm here, to convince you to end this folly. You've given up so much for me already, fought so hard, and for what? I'm not here. I tossed you out. You could have so much more than me. Do you really think I would ever change for you?"_

Belle blinked at him. "You did," she said, "You did change. You were so rude when we first met, you locked me in a dungeon and teased me mercilessly. But then you stopped. Then you treated me like a friend and I…I loved seeing that warm side to you. You only ever showed that side to me."

She remembered the times they shared tea by the fire. How he caught her in the library reading his books and instead sat down and insisted she read to him. How he let her sit at his wheel and work the straw, though her efforts produced no gold. Those were moments that made her fall in love with him. Perhaps no one else would believe her, but she knew that beneath all of that dark magic, Rumplestiltskin was a man. And she would never find another man like him.

"No," she said with a defiant shake of her head. "You always expected me to give up. You couldn't believe I could love you so you would never believe that I would keep trying. I will _never_ give up on you, Rumplestiltskin. You gave up on yourself a long time ago, it's up to me to prove you wrong."

She thought he would still argue with her, but it appeared that even that small part of her mind had agreed with her. Instead, he gave her a cheeky grin and dipped into that extravagant bow. _"Then carry on, dearie. Persistence is an admirable trait…if it doesn't get you killed."_

* * *

_Phillip was exactly the type of prince Belle had read about in stories. Polite, kind, brave and utterly devoted to his princess. He told her of his fight with the wicked sorceress Maleficent and how he had been separated from his True Love, Aurora. _

_ "I truly thought I was lost," Phillip explained, "I never thought anyone would see me, just the beast she'd turned me into. How did you do it?"_

_ Belle shrugged, blushing at his accolades to a skill she wasn't sure she possessed. "I well…I guess I just know that just because something is horrible on the outside doesn't mean they're the same on the inside."_

_ "Well I am forever in your debt. And you are truly rare, Lady Belle. I thank you again."_

_ She smiled but stared down at the leaf-covered path they walked on. She was proud of herself and clearly she'd done something good, but nothing had changed for her. She would still have to return home with a broken heart. Her father would insist she marry Gaston, but Belle knew she couldn't do that, not now. There would be no hope of coming to love him. She could never love anyone the same way she loved Rumplestiltskin. The only life that lay before her was one of loneliness and empty dreams that one day he would come for her._

_ Or…what if she didn't wait for him? Mulan had shown her worth by doing great things, not waiting for them to come. She had another option before her. She could return to the Dark Castle and refuse to leave him. She would tell him over and over of her love for him until he had no choice to believe it._

_ Belle smiled now for an entirely different reason. Yes. That is exactly what she would do._

_ "My friend is just over that ridge," she pointed down the path. A few steps later and she could see Mulan reading on of her books while sitting on a log. "There she is."_

_ Mulan smiled when she saw her. "Belle, you're alive."_

_ Belle accepted a light hug from Mulan, perhaps the greatest compliment she could ever receive from such a hardened warrior. "I, uh, did it," she said with pride a little awkwardness, "I defeated the yaogui." She smiled over at Phillip. "With a little help."_

_ "Who are you?" Mulan asked._

_ "I was the yaogui," he said._

_ Mulan stared at him for a moment before blinking back at Belle with a puzzled frown. "He was cursed," Belle explained, "So I helped him. Now he's going to help you."_

_ "Wait. You're not coming?" she asked._

_ Belle had planned to stay with Mulan, perhaps go to her village or ask for her help on the way home, but not anymore. Her home wasn't with her father anymore. It was with Rumplestiltskin, where she'd left her heart._

_ "I have another beast to face," Belle said. Yes, a beast, but not a monster. She would prove that to them all._

_ Belle handed Mulan back her sword while she returned her book to her. "Goodbye," she said._

_ "Goodbye, Belle," Mulan replied._

_ It was a shame to leave such potential friends behind, but she didn't think Rumplestiltskin would take kindly to two warriors coming to his castle. She'd hate to have to convince him to change them back from lizards or something._

_ Belle followed the small path out towards the road. In the distance, she could see the large mountains that held the Dark Castle. She smiled at the dark, but wide open path before her. "I'm coming back, Rumple."_

_ "Isn't that sweet." Belle stifled a gasp as she turned to see the one person she truly wished to never lay eyes on again. The queen, the woman who had helped her and tricked her all at once. The woman who had ruined everything._

_ "Still fighting for true love, even to the bitter end," she said with a crimson smile that matched her riding habit._

_ "How did you find me?" Belle asked. There was a carriage behind her with iron bars. A cage. What did she intend to do with her?_

_ "You really should be nicer to your traveling companions. Isn't that right, Claude?"_

_ Claude turned out to be one of the men Belle had been riding with in the party she sent towards the lake. She could only guess how much money the Queen had offered for her whereabouts. Knowing them, it could have simply been a few coppers or even a mug of fine ale. _

_ "Take her to the tower," the Queen announced to her guards._

_ Belle saw the men coming towards her. She did what was her only choice: run. She raced off of the road, back into the trees that would hopefully shield her in the darkness. "After her!" the Queen shouted._

_ "Mulan!" Belle cried, "Phillip! Help me, please!"_

_ She didn't know if they could hear her, perhaps they were already gone, but Belle wasn't going to simply walk into that cage the Queen offered her. She grabbed a stone, stopping long enough to take aim at the nearest black knight. The rock pinged off of his helmet. The metal rang and he grunted, but it only worked to slow him down. She had no weapons that would defend her against them. _

_ A root caught her as she tried to run again. There was no time to get back onto her feet. One guard landed right on top of her back, knocking the breath out of her she was saving for one more scream. He and his comrade each took one of her arms to haul her to her feet. "Our Queen has plans for you."_

_ "Sorry to disappoint her then."_

_ Mulan burst from the brush with her curved sword a strip of silver in the moonlight, slashing at one knight's arm. Phillip appeared from behind, cutting the other in the leg with his broad sword. Belle was freed instantly, but her footing was off and she fell again. _

_ She turned over to see her friends each battling a knight. Mulan was swift with her sword, swiping and cutting until she found and opening in his armor and cut through. He went down with a guttural cry. Phillip was strong, battering at the knight until he sword was lost and then slicing into the joint between his helmet and his hauberk. _

_ Both of them were breathing heavily, but completely unharmed. Mulan sheathed her sword and walked over to give Belle a hand up. "You're safe now," she promised._

_ The hairs on the back of Belle's neck stood straight up, that same sensation she'd felt whenever Rumplestiltskin had ever used his magic in her presence. Suddenly Mulan and Phillip flew through the air in opposite direction. They each struck a tree hard in the back and then collapsed to the ground._

_ Belle didn't have time to go to either of them. She didn't even have time to scream. Some purple light struck her and she was frozen to the ground she stood on._

_ A wicked laugh wafted towards her. She darted her eyes to the Queen as she slowly walked towards her, one hand glowing with a dark power. "I'm impressed," she said with a cruel smile, "You make friends quickly, Belle. You chose wisely, for once."_

_ "I can save him," Belle found her voice to say, trumping her rising fear, "Just let me go to him. I can break his curse."_

_ "You already tried and failed," The Queen hissed, "That's monster's beyond saving." She smiled at her again. "I'm sparing you a lifetime of pain and misery."_

_ "No matter where you take me," Belle said, "No matter what you do, I will fight for him. I will _always_ fight for him!"_

_ The Queen tilted her head. Her blood red lips were curved up in a smile that set a painful knot into Belle's gut. "Do you truly mean that, girl? You would fight for him forever?"_

_ "Yes," Belle said._

_ Now her smiled broadened. "I'd like to see that." _

_ Her hand glowed a sickly green for a moment before she directed it towards Belle. A shot of green lightning flashed towards her. Belle was enveloped into a wave of power. It burned into her chest, seeping into her bones with a pain that was too intense to even scream about. All she could do was stand there and grimace as it overtook her, rolling inside of her for what seemed like centuries._

_ And then it was gone. Belle was curled up into a ball on the ground. She wasn't sure when she'd fallen, but her whole body ached too much to even consider standing again._

_ "I've changed my mind, you are free to go," Regina said._

_ Belle's mouth was dry, so her voice cracked as she said, "Wha—what did you do to me?"_

_ The Queen's smile was wide, flashing with a victory Belle couldn't understand. "Find you're precious true love, Belle dear. I give you my blessing."_

_ She let out a throaty laugh before she vanished into a puff of smoke. Belle grunted at the slight ache in her joints she forced herself back onto her feet. Phillip was already stirring, so Belle went to Mulan first, shaking her shoulder and calling her name._

_ Mulan blinked and them grabbed her head. "Belle, who was that?"_

_ "A sorceress," Phillip answered._

_ "An enemy," Belle said, "She wanted to capture me."_

_ "So why did she let you go?" Mulan asked._

_ Belle rubbed at her chest. The sting of the magic was still there where it has struck her. "I don't think she did."_

_ The Queen had done something to her, Belle was certain of that. She could only hope Rumplestiltskin would be able to fix whatever it was that she had done. She would find him, but with caution now. The Queen was still out there and Belle knew now she couldn't travel alone._

_ "I have to find my True Love," Belle said to her two friends, "Will you help me?"_

_ "Of course," Mulan said._

_ "I would be honored to help you," Phillip said with a smile._

_ Belle smiled back. Her fear was momentarily set aside, but it was still lingering in the back of her mind as they walked together through the forest. A blessing from the Queen was surely a curse. What blessing was it that now sat inside Belle?_

_ 'Oh, Rumple, I know you'll help me,' she prayed to him as she stared at the moon through the black trees, 'And I'll help you.'_

* * *

Fynn and Belle managed to avoid the ogres on their journey back to the island. She hated those creatures. She still remembered tending the wounds of soldiers, nearly torn to pieces on the battlefield while fighting the ogres. And now there were so many of them, too many to face all at once. The good thing about the curse was that ogres had spread out on the mainland. Sure, they traveled in packs but at least they didn't have to face a massive army like her village had. It would take magic to defeat a force that size, she knew that more than anyone.

Fynn had apologized after a full day of silence from Belle. She had forgiven him because she knew he only wanted her to be happy, but that wouldn't happen until she was with Rumplestiltskin again. Sometimes she wondered if she could even remember what happiness felt like. It had been so long since she'd felt anything but pain.

The truth was, she sometimes struggled to remember her old life. Her time with Rumplestiltskin and what followed was still all very clear, but her life before was beginning to fade. Sometimes her father's face was difficult to remember correctly. She could barely remember Gaston at all, though his memory had always meant little to her. She couldn't remember anything of her mother anymore, except for the last few notes of a lullaby. Her trials and adventures were pushing everyone else away.

Fynn smiled when he saw the village, but Belle felt little cheer in it. Yes, she looked forward to a bath and a good meal, but it wasn't a home to her. She knew Fynn wouldn't mind staying there, but not her. She belonged to another place.

They were greeted warmly by the friends they had made of the refugees since their awakening. Belle smiled and waved to the children before leaving her horse with the others at the makeshift stables. The one handed blacksmith was nearby so she didn't linger. There was just something off about him, something dark that unsettled her. Mulan and Phillip swore she was a good judge of character so they had also give him a wide berth whenever he was near. It was probably silly, but Belle couldn't shake it.

She put it all aside when she saw Mulan taking a whetstone to her sword close to the water's edge. The foreign woman was an oddity, never wearing gowns and confessed to not knowing how to dance at all. She was almost never without her armor and sword and only smiled to those she trusted. But she had become one of Belle's dearest friends through their journey's together.

Another woman sat next to her in a silk pink gown with a lovely woolen shawl. The gown was far too costly for here. Her skin was still soft and white. Belle knew this had to be Princess Aurora, Phillip's true love. But where was Phillip?

"Mulan," Belle called out to her friend.

Mulan smiled a little and stood up from her rock. "Belle. Fynn. You have returned safely. I'm glad." She frowned a little. "But you are alone. Was he—?"

"Taken," Belle nodded solemnly, "With all of the others." She was eager to change the subject from her trials, so she smiled at Mulan's companion. "You must be the Princess Aurora."

Aurora nodded regally but sweetly smiled. "I am."

"Phillip spoke of you often," Belle said, "Where is he?"

The dark look that crossed across both ladies' faces told Belle everything she needed to know. "It seems we all met with tragedy on our journeys," she said.

"How did it happen?" Fynn asked. "Was it ogres?"

"Worse than that," Mulan said, "A wraith."

Belle gave her a puzzled look. "What is that?"

"A creature of death that steals the souls of the living. Phillip was marked by an amulet when the wraith entered our world. He sacrificed himself to the wraith to save us."

Belle bowed her head. Phillip was truly the noblest of princes. He would have given his life for any of them. Poor Aurora was clearly still wracked with grief. Belle knew of their story, how they had loved and yet had always been separated by the sorceress Maleficent. Now they could never find one another. Belle could share that grief with her so well.

"You said the wraith came from another world?" Fynn asked. Belle had overlooked that strange part, now she pondered over it.

"Yes, those two villains brought it here," Aurora spat out.

"Who are you talking about?" Belle asked.

"Two women came with the wraith," Mulan said, "We put them in the pit, but Lancelot released them both."

"He should have killed them!" Aurora cried.

"Hush," Mulan said, "Lancelot is wise and he knew one of them well."

"Who?" Belle asked.

"One of them is Queen Snow White."

Belle's mouth fell open. She knew that name so well. She remembered back during her time in the Dark Castle when Rumplestiltskin had let her into his laboratory when she brought him tea. There had been a wanted poster with Snow White's portrait pinned to one of his walls. She had of course heard of the princess long ago and asked if Rumplestiltskin had met the beauty.

_"Not yet," he had said, "though I look forward to it."_

_ "They say she is the fairest in the land. Do you think that's true?"_

_ "Well that depends on who's looking, dearie," he had teased._

_ Belle had stood beside the picture, tracing the perfect curves and lines of Snow White's face. She could easily believe the princess the most beautiful woman in the world. She hadn't meant to ask him, but the words slipped out. "And do you?"_

_ He'd eyed her with interest. "Do you think she's the fairest of all ladies?" she'd asked._

_ She remembered how Rumplestiltskin had gazed at her for such a long time. "No," he'd said. She never asked him who he thought outshone the raven haired beauty. She doubted he would have told her if she'd asked._

But Belle also remembered that Snow White had been an enemy of the Queen. That same Queen had created the curse that had ripped everyone out of this world, no doubt she would have taken Snow White with her. Then how…?

Belle's heart hammered in her chest with the familiar beat of fresh hope. "Snow White?" she asked, "Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Then she must have come from that other world, where everyone is." _Where Rumplestiltskin is._

Mulan nodded. Another smile blossomed across Belle's face. "Do you know where they are? I must speak to them now."

"With Lancelot, I believe."

She thanked her friend and started towards the village, but Fynn grabbed her hand. "Belle, don't give yourself false hope," he warned her.

Belle yanked herself free. "It's better than none." _And it's all I have,_ she thought as she hurried to Lancelot's hovel.

* * *

Mary Margaret, formerly Snow White, would have thought the land she stood on would have felt like home. At least, she would have thought that had she been aware for the past twenty-eight years of her real identity. Perhaps it was only the fact that half of her was still Mary Margaret Blanchard instead of Snow White. But she wasn't so sure.

The land she had grown up in had been lush and green. Her father had made sure all of his people were cared for and lived in peace and prosperity. Oh, they'd had skirmishes with ogres and trolls, but those beasts had always been beaten back so they'd turned their attention to other kingdoms. But this land…this land was as foreign to her as much as France of Germany would. It was hard, broken and it's people were the same. This wasn't the same world she had fought and won with Charming at her side. It had been destroyed by the Dark Curse, just as Regina had said.

"Home sweet home?" Emma asked when she saw her staring at the land and ocean stretching before her.

She shook her head. "No. Not anymore."

"You don't feel any nostalgia here?"

"Emma, I never set foot on this island even before the Curse," she said to her daughter, "And even if I did, home isn't land and stone. It's family, and ours is in Storybrooke."

Emma nodded, but she had that pensive look she'd inherited from her father. She wasn't entirely sure on something, but that made sense. Mary Margaret wasn't sure of anything here either. "I thought you would want to stay here, or at least come back somehow."

"I go where my family goes," she said, "You came here and so I did. When you go, I will go too."

She smiled a little when she saw relief in Emma's face. She had been worried that Emma would pull away from her now that the truth the Curse had hidden was finally out. Perhaps Emma couldn't see her as her mother, but she must still remember her as her friend. It was a start.

Lancelot had promised to help them find their way home. Mary Margaret only had a small idea of how that would be possible. Perhaps the wardrobe still carried some magic in it, surely it couldn't all be gone. It was thin, something she didn't dare tell Emma, but it was the only idea she had. She had learned long ago that magic was dangerous and always, always came with a great price. She didn't dare seek out anything that could be darker. What would that cost them if they did?

"Pardon me?"

Emma and Mary Margaret both turned around to see who had spoken. It was woman Mary Margaret didn't recognize. She was young and quite beautiful with long, chestnut curls pulled away from her face. Her eyes were a vibrant shade of blue, a perfect match for a cloudless sky. She had on dark red leather with a yellow undertunic. A sword was on her left hip with a dagger tucked into a sheath on her right. Her voice was soft and cultured which didn't match the rest of her. She sounded like a noble, but she was dressed like a warrior.

"Are you Snow White?" the woman asked.

Mary Margaret smiled at her. "I was, but I suppose now I'm Mary Margaret."

She frowned at her and blinked several times. "Forgive me, but I don't understand."

"You and me both," Emma said.

"I was Snow White," Mary Margaret explained, "but for the past twenty-eight years I thought I was someone else, Mary Margaret Blanchard. Now I am both, I suppose."

"I'm Belle," the woman said, pointing to herself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Belle," she said, holding out her hand to shake. "This is my daughter, Emma."

Belle slowly looked Emma up and down. If the situation wasn't so complex, Mary Margaret probably would have laughed at how comical she looked. "You're daughter?"

"It's…"

"Complicated," Emma said.

"Yes, complicated."

Belle nodded once, but Mary Margaret doubted she really understood. It was difficult for anyone to wrap their head around. Emma was her daughter. She remembered giving birth to her, wrapping her in her baby blanket and then handing her away to her husband to send her through the wardrobe. She had missed out on every moment of her daughter's childhood. She was her mother and yet she never got to really be her mother.

"So you were taken by the Curse," Belle said.

"Yes."

The young woman bit her lip and stared down at her boots. "Can you…did you live with the others? Do you know if there are others who were with you when the Curse…?"

Mary Margaret smiled. She wanted to know if her loved ones were safe. It was a kindness she was happy to bestow. "Everyone who was taken by the Curse was brought to the same town. We couldn't leave it. Whoever you seek is surely there."

Belle let out a choked sound, more like a sob. Tears were in her eyes, but she blinked them back. "There is someone I've been looking for even before the Curse was struck. The man I love."

"Why was he taken and not you?" Emma asked.

"We were separated," Belle said, "I was trying to make my way back to him and then…"

"I understand," Mary Margaret said, "And I'd like to help you, but some of the people in Storybrooke I only know by their new names. Can you tell me about him?"

"He's not like other men."

"They all say that," Emma said, earning her first disapproving look from her mother.

"He was cursed, not the Dark Curse, but by something else," Belle said, "It was something terribly evil, but there is still good inside of him. His heart wasn't touched by it, I know it."

"I think she meant something more descriptive," Emma said, "Like hair and eye color, maybe occupation or something."

"He had brown hair," Belle said, "But his eyes…they weren't exactly human."

"That doesn't match anyone in Storybrooke," Emma answered for Mary Margaret.

"He might look different there though," Mary Margaret said, "Was there anything that would separate him from everyone else."

"Magic," she answered quickly, "He wanted power and his magic was a part of that."

"Well that does narrow things down," Mary Margaret said, "What was his name?"

Belle stared at her with hope, her eyes pleading for answers. "Rumplestiltskin."

Every inch of Mary Margaret froze up at that name. Emma's mouth dropped open and her blue eyes were the size of full moons. Had she heard that right? No. That wasn't possible. Not him.

"Please tell me there's another Rumplestiltskin I don't know about," Emma said to her mother."

"You know him?" Belle asked, "Please, is he there? Is he all right?"

"Oh he's fine," Emma said, "Scum always comes out on top."

"Emma!" Mary Margaret hissed at her. Belle was looking hurt now. She even took a step back and started staring at the toes of her boots again. "I'm sorry, but do you do mean Rumplestiltskin the Dark One?"

"There is no other," Belle said, "Only him."

She nodded. "Yes, we know him. He is Mr. Gold where we come from. He was alive and well when we left."

"And playing with magic," Emma reminded her, "He brought out the wraith to attack Regina because of some old vendetta between them. He's the reason we got sent here."

"I'm sorry for what he's done," Belle said, "But you have to believe me, he's cursed. I can break his curse, I can change him for the better if I can just get to him."

"You have a magic wand in your pocket?" Emma asked.

"No. He's my True Love."

Mary Margaret tilted her head. "True Love's kiss? You think that would work on him?"

"It did, well it was, but then he stopped believing. Please, you must let me go with you," Belle said, "I can help him, I know I can."

"Go with us?

"Yes, I know you must be planning on returning. I want to go with you."

"I don't know about—." Emma didn't get to finish what she was going to say. Belle reached over to take a hold of Mary Margaret's arms, her eyes large and begging to be heard.

"Please, I've been separated from the man I love for thirty years," she said, "You have to take me with you. Surely you understand the pain of being separated from the one you love."

Yes she did know that pain. They were both suffering that now. Mary Margaret knew that Emma wasn't convinced, and neither was she, not completely. But she thought this woman might just be telling the truth. If she loved Rumplestiltskin, then what did that mean for the creature she and her husband had locked away to keep him from his deals and mischief? Once again she realized that everything she ever know had changed.

Perhaps she didn't understand evil like she thought she did.

* * *

A/N: So, what do you think? Please review to let me know. Oh, and Belle isn't crazy or anything, I just wanted to keep Rumple in the story and I thought she might be lonely enough just to pretend sometimes that he was there.

Next chapter: Emma and Mary Margaret aren't sure of what to think about Belle. Fynn tries to convince Belle to stay, but she is determined to find her one True Love. And Belle remembers the last time she saw Rumplestiltskin and how she discovered what the Queen had done to keep them apart.


	2. At The Beginning

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.

A/N: Boy, it's been a while since I updated this one. I have excuses though, Only A Rose kept me occupied and then I was attacked by another plot bunny (I'm fighting it off because I'm reluctant to be working on three multi-chap stories at once, but I fear I shall lose. Oh well, you gain I suppose). But also work majorly infringed on my life. Word of advice, NEVER be a waitress, thankless job and crummy pay, believe me. But here it is. More will be coming soon for this story and Only a Rose, I promise.

NOTE: Fynn is NOT Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert from Tangled. I love that movie and I love Flynn Rider, but Fynn is my own invention and is not destined to fall in love with Rapunzel.

**Anonymous Reviews:**

**Tama:** So glad you liked this last chapter and I'm glad you like my writing style. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

* * *

Chapter 2: At The Beginning

"She's crazy," Emma declared after the woman named Belle had left them to decide over the matter of her company.

"You don't know that," Mary Margaret said.

"She said her one true love is Rumplestiltskin, AKA, The Dark One, I think that's the definition of crazy."

To Emma, the solution was obvious, they couldn't bring an insane woman with them on their journey to…wherever her newly found mother said they would find the means back home. She may not know a lot about love, but even she knew that the man she'd met in Storybrooke, the man who had the whole town clutched in his perfectly manicured fist, was impossible to love.

"Emma, there are things that you just can't understand. We come from a different world."

"Yeah, I'm standing in it."

Mary Margaret gave her a patient smile. "Yes, but things are different here. Rules and ideas from your world, well they're easily challenged here. A woman could definitely love a monster like Rumplestiltskin in this world."

"Wait a minute," Emma said, "You believe her?"

"I accept the possibility."

"But it's Mr. Gold! He nearly beat a man to death over a teacup."

She nodded. "But how much do we really know him? He's always kept to himself."

"Yeah, because the bad guy is always a loner. It's in all of the movies."

Mary Margaret sighed and shook her head. "Look, I'll admit that he has done a lot of terrible things and shouldn't be trusted, but none of that means he is incapable of love. Emma, you've only seen him when he's at his worst."

"And you've seen him otherwise?"

Mary Margaret sat down on a fairly dry rock. Emma blinked at her. "Have you?" she asked. What did she know about Rumplestiltskin that Emma didn't?

"A glimpse, maybe, once," she admitted, "Your father and I know something about Rumplestiltskin that we never told anyone."

"Why not?" Emma asked as she took up her own rock.

"We decided it wasn't our place. It was his own past and it had nothing to do with any of his deals."

"What is it?"

Mary Margaret let out a painful sigh. "I need to explain something. When I first met Charming, he was engaged to someone else. You know her as Kathryn, but her real name is Abigail. It was very painful being in love with him but knowing we could never be together."

"Obviously you found a way, how else would I be here?" Emma remarked.

"Yes, but at the time I thought there was no hope. I met Rumplestiltskin when I went to him looking for a cure for a broken heart."

Emma let out a laugh at the idea. "Wow, if they sold those at the local pharmacy, I'd have bought them by the case."

"Trust me, it wasn't worth it," Mary Margaret stated, "Love is what guides us, even when it hurts us."

"Okay, but what does any of this have to do with that woman and Rumplestiltskin."

"I'll never forget what he said to me that day," she explained, "He said, _'Love makes us sick. It haunts our dreams, destroys our days'._"

"Well isn't he a bowl of sunshine," Emma said

"No, you don't understand it was _how_ he said it. It was so personal, like he truly felt that way."

Emma mulled over that for a minute, but just the thought…no way. It couldn't be. "He's a good liar."

"There's more," Mary Margaret said, "When he made your father hide away the True Love potion, he actually admitted that he'd been in love once."

Emma actually let out a gasp and latched onto her arm. "You're kidding me."

She shook her head. "He said she was…" Mary Margaret looked down at the sand to think, "What was it…oh yes, _'a flicker of light in an ocean of darkness'_."

"And you think he was talking about Belle?"

Mary Margaret bit her lip. "He said she died."

Emma wasn't sure of a lot of things, but the woman who'd left them had most definitely been alive. There were two options here. One: the woman was lying and didn't love Gold at all, but Emma couldn't see any indication of that. Two: she loved Rumplestiltskin, but it was one sided. The woman he had mentioned to her father was someone else entirely.

"Okay," Emma said, "So he did love someone once, but clearly it wasn't her. I guess that settles things then."

"Not necessarily, she could still come with us," Mary Margaret said.

"Why? I don't think Gold would be happy to see her again and we're not even sure if she _can_ come."

"I know that," she said sadly, "It's just…I know how it feels to be separated from the person you love. If we tell her no, she's likely to follow us anyways or get herself killed in desperate attempts to find her way to Storybrooke."

"But there is nothing waiting for her there," Emma said.

"If we take her with us, maybe we can find a way to gently tell her that she should stay here," Mary Margaret explained, "Surely, she's made some kind of a life here. We can help her see that this world is her home and that Storybrooke isn't where she belongs."

It was a sound idea and the decent thing to do. Besides, they could undoubtedly use the help in navigating this place since there wasn't a map or a GPS to be found. But Emma had been born a skeptic, so she had to voice her concerns. "And what if she's stubborn and continues to insist on going?"

Mary Margaret sighed and shrugged. "Then we'll have to leave her here. You were right before, since she's not the one he loved then Gold won't want anything to do with her. She'd have no life in Storybrooke."

Either way they looked at it, Belle was surely destined for a heartbreak. At least Emma knew firsthand that they weren't fatal. She would get over this, find some husband and settle down in this world. Wasn't that the thing about fairy tales? They always had happy endings.

* * *

Fynn had born and raised in the capital of King Midas's kingdom. The realm had never lacked in wealth because of the king's golden touch, so the city had never been in a state of decline. It had been a great place for merchants and business men, like Fynn's father, but that life had never appealed to him. He actually enjoyed the quiet life the island offered. Yes, it was hard work, but it wasn't work based off of money.

When he'd left the city, Fynn had dreamed only of scholarly things. A life of books, study and seeing the world. But he'd soon found new dreams. Dreams of a wife, children and a home that remained stationary. This place was the perfect setting for that.

He had the place, the plans, and the will, and yet he kept finding himself further and further away from what he wanted.

Fynn gave passing smiles to those he walked by as he hurried through the tangle of tiny huts. Belle had shared a cottage with Mulan since they'd come here, but he could see the Imperial warrior was nowhere in sight. Belle was there though, repacking her bag with fresh clothes, books and supplies.

"So you are going," he said as he observed her from the doorway.

Belle looked up at him with those same stubborn blue eyes. "Of course."

"It's a fool's journey. You have no idea what you will find."

"We've done this before," she reminded him.

"Never with strangers from another land."

"Mary Margaret is from this world," Belle said.

"You never knew her."

"I knew of her and that's enough."

"Belle," he said her name in plea as he stepped from the doorway, "Don't you think there might be a reason why he was sent there and you remained here?"

She hesitated as her hand found a book, but then resumed her packing. "I don't know why we didn't go with them. It hardly matters."

"Maybe you're not meant for that world. Maybe you're meant to remain here."

Belle let her book fall to the cot. She turned around to face him. "There is nothing for me here. Everything I want, everyone I love is there. That world, Storybrooke, is where I have to go."

Fynn wanted to shake her. He'd seen the two women from Storybrooke, it didn't seem like a place any one of them could belong. This world was better. It was home. Why couldn't she see that?

"What if he doesn't want you anymore?" Fynn said. Perhaps fear would make her see reason. "He tossed you out once for his power, he could do it again. Maybe he'd rather be alone."

Belle shook her head. "He doesn't want power more than me. He just couldn't believe that I could love him. When I find him, he'll know that. He'll believe me."

"Belle, it's been thirty years since you've seen him. Thirty years since he's seen you," Fynn reminded her, "He may not love you anymore."

"True Love doesn't fade away."

And if it was True Love, why would Rumplestiltskin toss that aside like a half-eaten joint of mutton? Why would he ever toss aside someone like Belle? He couldn't love her. That was impossible if he had done all of that.

"Before the curse, he had two years to look for you. Why didn't he if he loves you like you say he does?"

Belle turned back to her packing, but didn't touch any of her things. "I don't know."

"Belle…"

"No, Fynn," she said, turning back around to face him, "I'm not going to change my mind, no matter what you say, no matter how hard this will be and how many dangers I will face. I am going to Storybrooke and I am going to find him."

The tension that stood between them was like a thick black cloud. She couldn't see how foolish this was. When it came to Rumplestiltskin, she'd always been blind. Fynn had seen the imp once, had heard the eerie twitter of his voice, seen the darkness in his eyes and the twisted way he smiled. Belle may have seen something in him, but Fynn doubted it had been real. Perhaps the monster had fooled her somehow.

Mulan and Phillip had long ago accepted her story though they had never actually understood her feelings for the Dark One. Fynn couldn't. She had to find a love that was real. Belle deserved someone so much better.

But she wouldn't listen to him now, not with her own dreams seemingly in reach. So he let out a sigh. "All right," he said, "But I'm coming with you."

She was still bitter as she turned away. "You don't have to. You can stay here."

"I've been on this path with you for so long, I need to see it to completion. I only want you to be happy, Belle."

She had never been able to sustain a grudge longer than a day. This was no exception. She gave him a small smile. "I know. And I always appreciate your friendship, Fynn. I do want you to come with me."

"Then I shall."

Belle closed the distance between them, stepping into his arms for a hug. He could smell the honeysuckle scent of her hair for the brief moment he held her, but it lingered even after she'd stepped away. He watched her go through her meager possessions to decide what would stay and what would go.

He knew she would struggle to decide what books to take with her. He knew she would tuck her mother's necklace inside a handkerchief for safekeeping. He knew she'd keep one book out on her bed to read by candlelight before she went to sleep that night. Did Rumplestiltskin know such things about her? Doubtful.

Fynn would go with her. He would stand by her side as she continued to look for a way to the Dark One. And when it failed—it always did—then he would be there to try and convince her to give up this farce. One day she would listen. One day, she would finally see that Rumplestiltskin wasn't the one she needed.

* * *

Emma was ready to get the hell off of that island, but Mulan and Mary Margaret insisted on waiting so they could gather supplies. It was hard to forget that McDonald's and Starbucks didn't exist in this place. They would have to get enough food for the journey, find the medieval equivalent of a sleeping bag and God only knew what else. And they would need horses. Emma had ridden a horse once when she was thirteen. It was some smelly old thing covered in flies that had tried to bite her. She had wisely decided then that the equestrian life was not for her.

Right now she was sitting on some boulder watching the little town run along with it's daily routine. It was like she'd been dropped into some Monty Python movie, except there was no one with a cart and bell crying "Bring out your dead!" There was a blacksmith, for crying out loud. Boy would Henry love to see all of this.

The thought of her son brought fresh tears to Emma's eyes. She reached into the pocket of her jacket to pull out the little picture she had of him. Mary Margaret had given it to her back when she was just her roommate, a remnant from his school pictures. She wanted to get home to him so badly. "I'll be back, Henry. I promise."

"Is everything all right?"

Emma looked up from her picture, blinking back her tears. It was Belle who had spoken and she wasn't alone. She was with a decent looking guy with sandy colored hair. He was a little skinny, but considering Belle's tastes ran towards evil bastards, she could certainly do much worse.

"Fine," Emma said.

"I wanted to introduce you to my friend Fynn," Belle said, "He wants to come with us."

"The more the merrier I guess," Emma said, holding out a hand for Fynn to shake. "You got someone waiting for you in Storybrooke?"

"No," he said, "I just want to go with Belle."

Emma blinked at that, tilting her head to get a better look at him. What he said, that was interesting. Like lovesick schoolteachers, he wasn't exactly a mastermind at hiding his thoughts and emotions.

"What are you doing, Emma?"

"Nothing, apparently," she said, "I'm kind of useless here since I'm not a native."

Belle gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure that's not true."

"No, it's okay. I'm fine with that. All of this," she gestured to the world around her, "is a little too _Dungeons and Dragons_ for me. I prefer the twenty-first century."

Belle frowned at her. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand."

"Yeah, I get that a lot here."

"Is Storybrooke so different from this land?"

"Like apples and hand grenades," Emma said, earning another puzzled look from her two companions.

Belle took a seat on the boulder beside Emma. "What is it like?"

"Storybrooke?" Belle nodded in answer. "Um, well it's…different. I mean, there's still dirt and grass and water and stuff, but everything else is more…updated."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We don't have magic there," Emma said, "Or we didn't until your boyfriend dropped some sort of purple potion down a well, but that's a whole other story. We have stuff there that I'm sure you all would think is magic, but really it's just technology."

"Like what?"

Emma sighed and then fumbled around in her pocket until she had her cellphone. She handed it over for Belle. The screen said "No signal". What a shock. Belle and Fynn both gasped as the screen lit up with a picture of Henry she used as her wallpaper. "I've never seen anything like this," Fynn said.

"Guess not," Emma said, "But it's not magic, I swear. It's just microchips and other gizmos inside that make it work." They both shared identical expressions of confusion. "I sound like I'm speaking Chinese to you, don't I?"

"What's Chinese?" Belle asked.

Emma let out a little laugh and shook her head. "If we ever make it home, I'll rent you _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon_."

"So everything in Storybrooke is run by technology," Belle said while toying with the useless phone, "What else is there?"

"I don't know, it's hard to explain since I'm used to it all," Emma said with a shrug.

"Please try," Belle begged with large, pleading eyes, "I really want to know. I want to be able to adapt when I get there."

"Belle," Fynn said her name gently, "You don't know—."

"I'll find a way," Belle said to him, "Emma and Snow White and I will all go to Storybrooke, I know it."

Fynn shut his and shook his head. Emma watched as he turned around to walk a few paces away, giving his back to the two women. "Call me crazy, but he doesn't seemed thrilled about this journey," Emma said.

"He's just worried about me," Belle explained, "he thinks I should give up my quest to find Rumplestiltskin."

"You don't say." Emma kept her eyes on him, noting the slumped shoulders and how he kicked at the dust with his boots.

"Does Rumplestiltskin use things like this?" Belle held up the phone to her eyes.

"Uh yeah, sometimes, though he's a little old fashioned I guess. At least, old fashioned in my world," Emma said and gently took the phone away from her before she got more adventurous and possibly broke it.

"Are there books there?"

Emma smiled. "Do you like books?"

Belle nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, I love to read."

"Well there are tons of books I'm sure you'll like there. I'm not much of a reader myself, but Mary Margaret can probably tell you about them."

A spark was lit in Belle's blue eyes at that idea. She asked more questions and Emma struggled to find the proper answer, one that a medieval girl could understand. But the more she talked and the more Belle asked, Emma found herself looking over at Fynn and his defeated form. There may be a way to keep Belle here in this world without having to break her heart. Mary Margaret would certainly like the idea of helping her like this and Henry would approve. This way, everyone, including Belle, would get a happy ending.

* * *

Mulan had chosen to stay with Princess Aurora the night before they were to depart for Queen Snow White's castle. Aurora had been suffering from strange nightmares whenever she tried to sleep, probably because she missed Phillip more than anything else. Still, Mulan always kept her vows and she would keep hers to Phillip which is why Belle was alone in their cottage. It was a good thing because she found herself lacking the ability to sleep as well. Normally she would light a candle and read a book until sleep found her, but candles were precious here so she lay alone in the dark with her racing thoughts.

Emma had told her things about Storybrooke, things called electricity, television and cars. Belle tried to picture what these were but it impossible. She would have see them to understand. Hopefully, Rumplestiltskin would be there to help her to navigate this strange world.

Emma had called her love Mr. Gold, a name Belle decided suited him well enough. He had loved to spin straw into gold thread, it helped him to forget. She never did learn what it was he wanted to forget. His son, perhaps, though if that had been the case then he wouldn't have kept that room full of his clothes and things.

Mary Margaret had said that he looked different, not the same imp she'd known all of those months. It was easy to remember his golden skin, stained teeth and reptilian eyes. What she tried to remember most were those few seconds when he was changing. She had seen the man beneath all of that ugliness. Did he look like he did then? Did he had pink skin with warm, deep brown eyes? Was his hair straight and brown, streaked with bits of honey and grey? He was a man there. If he was…did that mean he'd found someone else to break his curse? Had True Love faded from his heart until he'd found another whose kiss had freed him? Belle had kept him so close to her own heart, but perhaps he hadn't done the same.

_"There you go, doubting yourself again."_ Rumplestiltskin was lounging on Mulan's bed, idly flipping one large gold coin across his knuckles. _"You're quite certain of your own failings, dearie, though everyone would tell you that I could never do better than you."_

"It's been three decades since we last spoke," Belle reminded him, "You hardened your own heart against me. Someone else could have found the way to open it again."

_"Perhaps,"_ he mused in a way that pained her throbbing heart, _"Perhaps I no longer love you. Perhaps I never loved you."_

"That is a lie!" Belle shouted at him, sitting up from her bed to glare at the image her own mind had made. "The kiss was working. You loved me! You must! You're just a stubborn fool who couldn't believe I could love you."

Rumplestiltskin started flipping the coin in the air. She knew it wasn't real, but she could hear the metallic ring of the gold as it hit his flesh. She could see it twirling and gleaming in the moonlight, hanging for a breath before coming back down. _"Then my love isn't in doubt, dearie. You must be troubled by something else."_

"Nothing troubles me."

_"Little liar,"_ he teased with a giggle. He caught the coin in his open palm and pocketed it before sitting up to stare at her. _"You're afraid. You don't know what this journey will bring and that frightens you."_

"It will bring me to you. I can handle anything as long as I know I can find you."

_"But you don't,"_ Rumplestiltskin said, _"You don't know if you'll find that window to wherever I am. This could be another long journey which will leave you with nothing than a few more scars and an even more broken heart."_

"I know that," Belle said. She did understand where this could all lead. She did fear that she was getting her hopes up again only to have them scattered in the wind. "But I have to try. I will never give up. I told the Queen that and I meant it."

_"Brave, foolish girl,"_ he said, she thought with some admiration, _"You'd willingly die in the quest to find me."_

"I already have," she whispered.

Rumplestiltskin's eyes glittered at her. He bowed his head, his wavy hair creating a curtain around his face. _"You may again,"_ he warned her, _"You could be walking straight into danger, dearie."_

"I'm used to it," she said to him, never one breaking his gaze, "That has been my life since I left your castle."

Belle lay back down on her bed, turning so he had her back. When she looked back, she knew she would find him gone again. She wouldn't turn around this time, then she could pretend he was really there. Maybe if she kept his image in her mind, she could dream of him. Dream that he was lying next to her and gently stroking her cheek, guarding her as she slept.

She didn't dream of him. Instead she dreamed that she was back at his castle. She could hear him calling for her, but every door she opened revealed nothing but emptiness. The castle was endless and each time she thought she'd found him. But he was never there. He was always out of her reach.

* * *

_They had been on the road for a week now and Belle and her two companions were all eager for a rest. A warm fire, hot food and an actual bed were all in order. They were thrifty with their money so they would have enough. Belle had taken one spool of Rumplestiltskin's golden thread before she had left the castle and there was still plenty left, for now. But money and time don't last forever._

_ It was a good sized town with painted cobblestone roads and large wooden and stone buildings. Belle guessed that it's location to the river made it an ideal trading town. She had grown up in a town very similar to this one, filled with merchants that came from exotic lands to pander tastes of these different cultures. She used to dream that she would see these places, but adventures weren't exactly like the kind in her books. Oh, they could be fun, but they were also very, very painful._

_ Mulan was teaching her to use a sword, but Belle still found her books to be her best weapons. They were so often overlooked and forgotten, but they were what helped her find the yaogui and guided them safely through the forests to this town without the use of the roads. She was still wary that the Queen would find her._

_ They couldn't see it at a distance, but when they reached the town they saw signs of a skirmish. There were deep cracks on the cobblestone, carts were tipped over in the streets and doors ripped full off their hinges. The sight made Phillip and Mulan both pull out their swords. _

_ "Ogres," Mulan said._

_ Belle shook her head. "Ogres only destroy, they don't steal. This was something else." She knelt down behind a fallen cart and pulled out roughly made hatchet with a frayed loop of rope attached to it. "Creatures of the Four Kingdoms" had told her about what carried hatchets just like this on thieving raids. "Trolls."_

_ This could be good news as there would more likely be survivors. Ogres slaughtered with no care for gold, but trolls preferred riches to blood. Still, they kept their weapons ready as they walked through the town. Voices were soon heard, harsh whispers that betrayed no words. _

_ It seemed the trolls had left and the townsfolk were still gathered in the square. Some were trying to gather up the debris left in the wake of their attackers. Most still stood there, seemingly shell shocked with their eyes fixed at an empty space in the cobblestone square._

_ "What happened here?" Phillip asked one man holding a bloodless ax._

_ "The trolls came," he said, "and we feared they would destroy our town."_

_ "I see you managed to drive them away. Well done."_

_ The man shook his grey head. "No, my lord, it wasn't us. The mayor called upon the Dark One"_

_ Belle's mouth fell open in a silent gasp. She stared straight at the man as he spoke, "We had to give up our town's greatest treasure: a meadow filled with special flowers that heal all wounds, a gift from the fairies."_

_ "You did what needed to be done," Phillip said to soothe the man's grief, but Belle was wrapped up in what this meant. If the people were still here, still stunned by what they had seen, surely Rumplestiltskin couldn't be far._

_ "When did the Dark One leave?" she asked._

_ "Mere moments ago."_

_ Her heart galloped into a new rhythm. What wonderful luck! "Where is the meadow?" she asked, "Please, I beg of you, I must speak with him now."_

_ The man pointed to the rose colored road that lead towards a forest. "Take that road. You'll find rocks marked with the old language of magic. Can you read that?"_

_ "Yes," Belle said._

_ "Then you should have no trouble, but beware of him, my lady. The Dark One always asks for a terrible price for his magic."_

_ Belle smiled a little. "I know the Dark One far better than you and I know his ways well. I have nothing to fear from him."_

_ She set on the rose colored road immediately and didn't stop even when she heard her two friends quicken their pace after her. "Belle! Belle, wait!" Mulan called out, but still had to grab her arm to stop her, "You don't know what you're doing."_

_ "I do know," Belle said, "I have to see him. I need to talk to him."_

_ "We will give you aide for whatever you need," Phillip promised her, "You don't need to seek the help of such a monster."_

_ Belle smiled and shook her head. "He's no monster, trust me on that. He may be a beast at times, but he is my beast, and I intend to be with him once again."_

_ Mulan frowned at her, but she saw the dawn of understanding enter Phillip's eyes. He had a True Love. He knew the power of that pure magic. So he put a hand on Mulan's shoulder and nodded for her to go._

_ Belle smiled at him before turning back on her course. This time they didn't follow her._

_ The stones that marked the hidden path were a puzzle to find, but once she did, it was easy for Belle to find her way through the woods. She didn't care to know why Rumplestiltskin wanted the town's special flower or what he intended to do with it. She'd found him without the arduous journey back to the Dark Castle. Perhaps, tonight she would be back home with him. Maybe now he would be willing to believe her love._

_ She stopped when a clearing broke through the forest. There he was, all golden-grey scales, unkempt brown hair and dressed in a long dragonhide cloak. Her heart leapt at the sight of him. He was so beautiful to her in that moment, though everyone would say she was mad to think so. Her broken heart was mended in that moment. The ache of loneliness gone within the blink of an eye._

_ She watched him pick up one bright pink blossom. He wrapped it in a black handkerchief embroidered with gold thread—she nearly sobbed in joy when she recognized that it was one she had made. He tucked the flower away into his pocket. He raised one hand and a fiery ball appeared in his palm. She heard him laugh as he waved his hand, setting the entire meadow ablaze._

_ She couldn't hold her tongue any longer. "Rumplestiltskin," she called out. _

_ He made no notice of her._

_ "Rumplestiltskin," she said his name louder this time. "It's me. It's Belle."_

_ Nothing._

_ "Rumplestiltskin look at me!" she shouted now._

_ He did not look._

_ "Can't you hear me?" she begged, coming closer. "It's me, it's Belle! Talk to me, please talk to me!"_

_ This wasn't simply him pretending she wasn't there. She was making such a racket that even the dead would have acknowledge her. He didn't flinch or show any indication that she was there. He actually couldn't hear her._

_ Her blood was pounding in her ears. Her stomach twisted itself into a painful knot. Belle pretended none of this meant anything, that he just couldn't hear her over the crackle of the fire and the power of his own magic. So she ran towards him. She would tap his shoulder to get his attention. Hopefully he would look before he turned his magic on someone who snuck up behind him._

_ When she was about five feet away from him, Belle stopped. It was a completely involuntarily. One moment she was running the next her feet had planted roots on the ground. She tugged and prodded, but her legs had ceased to obey her commands. _

_ Now her blood raced hot with fear in her veins. "Rumplestiltskin!" she shouted, surely he should hear her now. Nothing._

_ "Rumplestiltksin, look at me! Look at me!" Belle reached down and plucked one brown and grey rock from the ground and threw it at him. He whirled around with snarl when it struck the back of his shoulder. At last, she was finally looking into his eyes._

_ He looked right at her. She was standing right before him and yet…he gave no sign. His inhuman eyes darted around seeking something. They narrowed in suspicion, sometimes flickering to the spot where Belle stood, but he didn't look directly at her. Rather, he seemed to look right through her._

_ "Please," she begged, her voice breaking over the word, "Please see me. I'm here. I'm here, Rumplestiltskin, it's me. It's Belle. Belle."_

_ He started walking towards her which made her heart dance inside of her chest. But he didn't look towards her. He couldn't see her too._

_ "Please," she said again as tears rolled down her cheeks. Before she could reach out an touch him, her legs started working again. But this time they moved without her permission, taking her away from him. She cried as they walked away until she could finally command them to stop, several feet away from him again._

_ "No," she said, "Please, gods, no!" She tried running towards him again, but there was no hope to it. This time she stopped so violently that she lost her balance and fell onto her belly in the dirt._

_ Belle raised herself up onto her knees and watched as he waved one hand and vanished in a puff a smoke. Likely, he was back in the Dark Castle, alone. She broke._

_ She pressed her face into her hands and sobbed. She had thought her heart broken before, but now it was being torn anew into smaller pieces. Had Rumplestiltskin created some vile magic to keep her away from him, to forget what they had once shared? Was he so desperate to keep his power that her shunned her from his memory and sight? The idea of that betrayal had her shuddering with more sobs._

_ A rich, throaty laugh turned her attention away from her grief. Belle recognized that laugh. Now she knew exactly what had happened and who was to blame for all of this._

_ The Queen stood before her now, all in black and sparkling with bright red jewels from the top of her hat to her wrists. Her smile was as dark and crimson as ever. Her dark eyes flashed with glee. "Oh my, what a pathetic sight you are," she said, "I thought you had more pride than that."_

_ "What have you done?" Belle hissed._

_ "I gave you wanted. You're free to fight for him." She let out another chuckle, "If you can get around my curse."_

_ Belle swallowed back fresh panic, but the Queen continued to smile. "Yes, you begin to see now. He cannot see, hear or touch you. You can run up to his gates if you wish, but he won't even know you're there."_

_ Belle climbed to her feet. Her cheeks were still wet and her eyes red, but hatred and defiance had ripped the grief right out of her. "All curses can be broken." The Queen had told her those very words once._

_ "True Love's kiss will be a bit difficult if you can't touch," she reminded her with a smile, "but yes, there is a way." She let out a laugh again. "When your foolish little heart stops beating, only then will you be free."_

_ The Queen extended one black gloved hand. There was a small cloud of green-black smoke and then a dagger appeared in her palm. She tossed the blade to Belle and it landed at her feet. "For when the pain of separation gets too much," the Queen said._

_ She waved her hand in a mockery of goodbye and laughed as her magic whisked her way, just as Rumplestiltskin's had. Belle glared at the empty space before her now. Magic had taken her away from her True Love and her enemy. Magic never played fair it seemed._

_ She considered leaving the dagger on the forest floor, but decided to look at it first. It had a black hilt with gold filigree as decoration. It's blade was virgin of blood or nicks and deadly sharp. The Queen wanted her to plunge it in her heart to finish what she'd started. But that would only give the Queen exactly what she wanted._

_ So Belle kept the dagger, not to use it on herself, but to have it serve as a reminder of her purpose. There had to be another way to break this curse. This dagger would serve her well in her quest to find it._

* * *

Belle checked over everything in her satchel: two books, a change of clothing, some food, and a waterskin. Her short sword was at her waist as was the Queen's gift to her. The dagger had been of use to her more than once and she intended to return it to Regina once she made it to Storybrooke. Proof that True Love would always win in the end.

The last thing she did was tie Rumplestiltskin's cravat around her neck. It was the only token she had of him, one she had never meant to bring with her but now she treasured more than anything else. It was ragged and dirty now, despite how she'd cared for it, but sometimes she could even remember his scent when she had it close to her like this.

Fynn was waiting for her outside of her cottage, also ready to go though he had the look of a man being drafted to a suicide quest. "You don't have to go," Belle told him.

"Neither do you."

"I want to."

"And I want to make sure you're safe, this is the only way."

That touched her so deeply. She reached up and gently cupped his cheek for a moment. "My dear friend," she told him. He was her dearest friend. She would miss him greatly when she left this world. She wished he would come with her, but knew he wouldn't. He would have no place in Storybrooke, nor did he wish to have one at all.

Belle enjoyed the weight of the satchel on her shoulder. It was heavy, but it held the promise that this quest could very well be her last. She could finally find Rumplestiltskin and be whole again.

They took small boat to the mainland where Duncan ran a stables. Mulan was already their, assessing the horses with a critical eye and even Mary Margaret seemed to be throwing out some suggestions. It was easy to forget that she was from this world and had been a queen once. Emma looked at the animals like they were diseased. Well, she had said that riding horses was mostly a pastime in her world and not common for transportation any longer.

"Oh, Belle, hello," Mary Margaret said when she saw her and waved, "Are you ready to go?"

"I've been ready for twenty-eight years," Belle replied.

Mulan handed her the reins of a grey horse with soft eyes. Belle rubbed the mare's nose before climbing into the saddle. She watched as Fynn helped Emma into hers, the woman giving him a smile and a grateful, "Thanks."

The dirt path through the forest stretched out before them. Belle had ridden that road many times, but this time she saw it was more promise. At last she was finally on the way to finding Rumplestiltskin. Her horse walked at her first prodding and she smiled, patting her with gratitude.

_Soon,_ she promised her leaping heart, _very soon._

* * *

A/N: So Mary Margaret and Emma believe Belle is not the woman Rumplestiltskin spoke of and Fynn is determined to keep Belle in Fairy Tale World. Any ideas on how Belle will change their minds? What did you all think of this latest chapter? Please review.

Next chapter: The group fights the ogres, we find out how Fynn joined Belle, Mulan and Phillip and Emma encourages Fynn to win Belle's affections, but soon learns that maybe she shouldn't be so hasty to think Belle isn't the one Rumplestiltskin loves.


End file.
